


A Rose By Any Other Name

by SlavinWrites



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Mentions of Lola Perry - Freeform, mentions of Danny Lawrence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-02-17 06:31:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13071090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlavinWrites/pseuds/SlavinWrites
Summary: Here is a Romeo and Juliet au that literally no one asked for, but don't worry, everyone lives. The Karnsteins and the Hollises have been rival companies for years. So what happens when the two daughters of the most powerful companies in the world fall in love?





	1. Unexpected Meeting

_“Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” -Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet._

Laura sighed. 

She would rather be anywhere else than her own birthday party. Every night was a ball. A grand feast. Ladies and gentlemen from all over would dress up in their fanciest garb, and wear masks to cover their beautiful faces. But try as she might to enjoy herself, the scene just didn’t appeal to Laura. She just wanted to curl on the nook in her room, and read until she fell asleep. Her dad decided to throw a giant ball to celebrate her 18th birthday, and she honestly just wanted to watch Buffy with her dad until the wee hours of the morning. But alas, she was stuck here being hunted down by her maid to be introduced to one of the wealthiest daughters in the world, right under her and the Karnstein girl. _Carmilla_ Karnstein to be exact, heir to Lilita Morgan’s throne. They’d never met, but she’d heard many stories and seen photos of her in the newspaper. She would never admit it to anyone, but dreams of the beautiful woman had been occupying her thoughts lately--not the lousy admirers her father insists she be with. The tabloids had been talking a lot about how she was to be the next to take over the company. Laura’s dad was furious apparently, but she shook the thought of the other girl from her head, and tried thought of something else. 

The estate that Laura has lived in all her life resided in the countryside of Styria, Austria. It was a place that hardly anyone knew about, but somehow her father was successful. She had never left the estate after her mother passed away, because of her overprotective father. Before she was gone, her mother used to take her to the city every weekend. They would go shopping, and eat at every restaurant until their stomachs couldn’t hold anymore. Now that she is gone, Laura’s father changed, and his metaphorical grip on her became borderline pathological. Forcing her to be homeschooled, signing her up for krav maga classes, and even going as far as hiring her a bodyguard. As much as Laura hated being treated like she couldn’t handle herself, she understood where her father was coming from. Still, it became infuriating sometimes, and she couldn’t wait to be living on her own. 

Laura had found a hiding spot, on the furthest side from the ballroom, where a fish tank stood. Laura started looking around the tank, a little surprised at the fact that she had no idea it was there to begin with. There were all sorts of fish that swam around, and the light above it made it look more like the ocean. She began following a specific fish, who had a partner following it and little fishes in their wake. A wistful sigh escaped her lips, imagining them as a queer family, with two mommies and two adorable girls. Sometimes she wished she lived a life as simple and carefree as these fish. 

A woman was standing on the other side of the tank, and she had a smirk on her face. Laura felt a blush creeping on her face, and gave her a small smile. Laura moved to one of the openings of a coral that was sitting in the opposite corner, and was met with the same girls gaze. She then moved her face to another part of the tank, and the other girl followed. This continued for a few more moments, until she moved, and the girl was gone. Laura leaned back, thinking maybe she was looking somewhere else. 

She let out a quiet sigh, “...there goes the only girl I want to be with like that fish family and their little fish babies. Not any of these pathetic admirers my dad forces me to date.” 

Laura was startled by a warm breath on her back. She squeaked, and quickly turned around to be greeted by the same girl from before. She had the same smirk on her face too. Laura hadn’t had a good look at the girl from before, but now she was standing in front of her, her knees shook at how beautiful she was. She had dark hair, that was up in a series of braids, and tied into a bun. Her skin was pale, and her face looked as if it was sculpted by god. Her jawline was sharp, and curved at just the right places, the sight of the woman caused Laura to gulp. Her dress wasn’t helping her either. The dress hugged her in all the right places, and the front of her dress dipped just enough for Laura to see her cleavage. Laura was so not looking at her chest, at all. Nope. Laura did realize who it was, even behind the mask. The girl couldn’t fool Laura, and she had spent her entire night avoiding thinking about her for whatever reason. The girl from her dreams. The girl she swore to stay away from. 

“Fish babies, huh? We’ve only just met and we’re already talking about kids? Damn, if I knew you were THIS eager, I would have stared at you through a fish tank years ago.” She snickers. 

_Holy Hufflepuff._

Laura shrieked, her cheeks blushing redder than a tomato. “Y-you weren’t meant to hear that! S-shut up!” she then shook her head, pointing a finger at the beautiful girl, “And don’t sneak up on girls, it’s sad!” 

She smiles, amused by Laura’s rambling. She then sighs, an almost tired expression on her face, and she suddenly seemed older than she looked. “I think what’s even more sad is that we know of each other, but this is the first time how we’re meeting.” She boldly cups Laura’s cheek, “Had we met in a different time, I would have been brave and talked to you sooner.” 

“What’s been keeping you away from me?” Laura murmurs, feeling oddly safe in her embrace. 

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” She sighs, “I am Carmilla Karnstein.” 

Laura gulped audibly at the name, her heart pounding in her chest. She already knew who it was, and she knew that if her father saw them right now, he’d be in a rage and forcibly rip them apart. Her grip on Carmilla’s arms became tighter. They held each other in silence for a long moment, realization dawning over them both at the severity of this meeting. 

“My name is Laura Hollis,” She chimes quietly, “And I just turned eighteen.” 

“Missing out on your own birthday? Yeah. I can see why--this party is _lame_. Where’s the DJ?” The woman’s voice was raspy, and it made Laura shiver slightly from the sound. Even her voice sounded like sex, and Laura needed to compose herself quick. The woman was becoming smug, at how flustered and red faced Laura was. 

“Why crash a party if you think it sucks?” Laura fired back, and was thankful that it managed to come out of her mouth.

“I never said it sucked. After all, you’re here,” Carmilla responded. She had an intense look in her eyes, something that nobody, not even Laura had ever seen before. Laura’s blush returned at full force, and failed at attempting to hide it. Carmilla tilted her head to the side, “What are you hiding from?” 

“What makes you say that?” Laura asked. 

“Because you keep looking everywhere else cupcake. I figured you don’t want to be found,” Carmilla pointed out. 

“My dad has been trying to hunt me down to meet this girl that he assumes is good for me. I could care less, we wouldn’t even work out,” Laura managed to get all of it out before her brain caught up with her. “And you probably didn’t want to hear my entire life story,” Laura’s face got redder. 

Carmilla just chuckled, and gave her a small smile. “Well it would be a waste not to at least try and turn it around. It is your birthday after all, wouldn’t want it to completely suck.” Carmilla said, her smirk returning. She held out her hand for Laura to take.

“And what if I still had a terrible time?” Laura was teasing her, and Carmilla knew that as Laura took her hand. Carmilla tried to ignore her stomach doing a flip at the way Laura’s hand felt in hers. 

An unfamiliar feeling was blooming in Carmilla’s stomach. 

“Well you don’t really have a choice now do you?” Carmilla asked while gesturing behind Laura. When Laura turned around, she saw her dad with Danny both looking for Laura. She quickly pulled Carmilla onto the dancefloor to make her daring escape. 

They began dancing, and Laura was conflicted. Her father had said some horrible things about the Karnsteins, even Carmilla. Laura never believed the nasty things that everyone had said about Carmilla. She didn’t even know the girl, but neither did they, and that’s what sparked her curiosity. But here she was, up close and personal. It was something Laura never expected to happen to her, but here she was, dancing with the one person she was supposed to hate. 

She couldn’t bring herself to. 

“Enjoying the view?” Carmilla asked, breaking Laura out of her thoughts. 

Oh God, she was so sexy. 

“I-I-I uh was admiring your mask!” Laura squeaked. She hadn’t realized she was staring, but blushed anyways. “Sorry.” 

Carmilla chuckled, and gave Laura a reassuring smile. “No need to apologize, I know I’m irresistible.” 

“I wasn’t the one being creepy! You were looking just as much as I was!” Laura tried to reason, but the other woman was all too amused. 

Carmilla spun Laura around, and pulled her back in. “You got me there, you are breathtaking, especially when your face is that red.” Carmilla smiled in triumph, as Laura tried to hide her blush for the umpteenth time that night, but couldn’t because she needed to pay attention to dancing. Waltzing required your full attention, and having to avoid looking down wasn’t helping Laura’s case at all.

“Gee, thanks,” Laura managed to get out after a minute. Carmilla was still watching her with such intensity. She then turned her gaze out to the rest of the dancers to make sure that no one had recognized her. But she could feel Laura still looking at her, but this time it was like she was studying her. 

“What?” Carmilla finally asked. 

“It’s just nice to be hit on by someone who isn’t an old man,” Laura said with a light smile. Carmilla returned the expression, which caused Laura’s heart to flutter. “Because that’s mostly the only people who’ve attended this trainwreck. I just want to experience the great world I was denied growing up.” 

“You must be really naive then huh, cupcake?” The nickname slipped out of Carmilla’s mouth again before she could stop it. But Laura didn’t comment on it. 

“Well it’s hard not to be when your father spends a lot of money making sure you have people watching you at all costs. I can’t even leave the house,” Laura paused. “Sometimes I wish he’d put his money to actual good use.” 

“Most wealthy people don’t,” Carmilla stated bluntly. 

“Do you?” Laura asked suddenly. The question threw Carmilla off, but she wasn’t the least bit offended.

“I don’t care about my family’s wealth,” Carmilla sounded annoyed at that, so Laura decided to change the subject. She had only been interacting with Carmilla for a few minutes, and she didn’t want to stop. Not yet. 

There was something about her.

“Since you know why I’m forced to be here, what about you?” Laura asked with a grin. “What prompted you to crash my birthday party?”

“Nothing better to do, plus I was hoping it’d get a rise out of you. Since we’re supposed to hate each other and all,” Carmilla answered. 

“Well that plan obviously didn’t work, did it?” 

Carmilla was glad it didn’t.

“I got a dance. Nothing can top that, I think.” Carmilla stated with pride. This time, Laura didn’t even try to stop the smile or hide the blush that formed on her cheeks. The song ended, and another, slower song started but neither of them dared to end what was happening. She boldly rested her forehead on top of Laura’s own, and they began swaying to the music. It felt comfortable, which wasn’t supposed to be a good thing. The whole interaction shouldn’t even be happening. But they kept dancing, and soon the last song ended, and they both stood there in complete silence. Carmilla was staring at Laura with intensity. She felt bashful under her gaze. 

“Will I see you again?” Laura’s words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Laura was still hopeful, even if she wasn’t supposed to be. 

“I…” 

But Carmilla was cut off at the sound of Perry, her maid, barreling towards them with a look of anger in her face. At first, Laura thought that she had recognized Carmilla, and was about to scold her, but she didn’t. 

“Ms. Hollis, your father is looking for you! He’s been worried sick, he needs help ushering people out.” Perry grabbed her arm, and quickly pulled her away. When Laura turned back, Carmilla had disappeared. Laura tried not to be disappointed. 

Later on that night, when Laura was laying in her bed looking at the ceiling she thought of Carmilla. Laura wanted to know the girl more, but she realized that it was probably the last time she’d ever see her again. She wished that the girl she all of a sudden felt an attraction to could come back and see her again. But it wasn’t possible. 

****

Carmilla was pretty sure she just started something that she may not be able to finish. It was a dangerous game, flirting with the daughter of her family’s biggest rival. But she couldn’t stop, she had been wanting to do this for so long. Just flirting with Laura Hollis once, so that she could move on. But now that Carmilla had gotten a taste, she knew she wanted more. She had been doing her best to stay away from the business worlds’ princess, but the girl was looking right at her, and Carmilla was not expecting that. It was completely on accident too, Carmilla had never seen that tank in the ballroom in the past parties she had attended. The universe was certainly having this biggest laugh at that one. 

She rolled over with a sigh, it wasn’t unusual. Carmilla had gone after girls who didn’t see her that way all the time, the ultimate self destruction. But something about this girl made her want to chase her anyways. It was more than the fact that she was supposed to be an enemy. It was more that Carmilla held onto the hope that maybe Laura wanted to be chased. Maybe Laura really did enjoy Carmilla’s company. Carmilla didn’t care about status, but everyone else did. She tossed and turned a few more times, hopeful to find sleep. 

When she couldn’t, she huffed and got up from her bed to find a pair of jeans and her leather jacket. When she put her clothes on, she made her way quietly downstairs, and put her boots on at the door. She then walked out the door, and started walking in a random direction to help clear her head. She was familiar with these streets, it came as a surprise though when she was down a familiar street, that her and Will used to walk down. Carmilla had remembered all those times that her and Will would crash the parties that the Hollises would throw every month. They were always to promote their company, until the wife of Mr. Hollis died, and they became less. Her and Will stopped crashing parties a long time ago, until tonight when Laura’s birthday party had been advertised everywhere. 

She had known about the girl for all her life, and was taught to hate her. Instead though, Carmilla was curious of the girl, and Will liked to cause trouble. It was a perfect plan, but Carmilla never mustered up the courage until now. She kept walking down the road, and ended up in front of their mansion. Carmilla noticed a flyer on the giant sign up front. 

Mr. Hollis was looking for someone to fix his motorcycle, and Carmilla was yet again pulled right back in. She had wanted to break away from her family for years now, but couldn’t find a job that paid well enough. She scoffed at the flyer, and kept walking. She would not do it, she won’t take the job, because if she did then it would be a total disaster. But Laura’s father wouldn’t even let Carmilla around Laura with a nine foot pole. Then again, he didn’t have to know that. Laura showed the same amount of interest as Carmilla did. Carmilla would be risking their reputation, so she knew it was a terrible idea. But Carmilla was never one to go after what was right or wrong, she went after what she wanted. It was clear that there was no way around this, and Carmilla let out a frustrated groan.

She took the flyer.  
****

Laura woke with a start, as Perry dropped something in the floor. It wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last time either. She rolled out of bed and began letting Perry try and dress her with apologies sputtering out of her mouth. 

Laura reassured the woman, and dismissed her. It was pointless to have maids, she didn’t feel independent with them around. She could do everything herself, but her dad insisted that they stay and help out. But Laura knew it was only because he wanted someone to make sure she wasn’t causing any trouble. 

She huffed and got ready for her “daily lessons” which were also pointless because Laura didn’t need education, she already graduated high school and that was enough. Her dad wouldn’t let her go to college until she was “of age” which was ridiculous because “Laura college can be dangerous.” Laura scoffed at the statement, and made her way down the stairs and to the dining room. 

When Laura sat down at the table, her dad and Kirsch were talking animatedly about a deal that her dad must’ve made with one of the companies at her party last night. She held in a huff of annoyance, that of course her party was only thrown because of course he wanted to make new deals. 

“Laura! I didn’t get to tell you, Vordenburg agreed to the deal. How about that!” He boomed happily. “He was so glad he didn’t give it to the Karnsteins, they are dangerous people.” 

Laura let out a soft groan, and her dad sighed. She knew it was bad to start an argument with him, but she didn’t care at this point. Laura was fed up with how much hatred her dad had for the Karnsteins. 

“Laura I know you may have not interacted with them, but they can’t be trusted. I’ve done business with them before. I’m glad Vordenburg chose me instead, made a good decision.” Laura’s dad seemed proud of himself, and Laura just wanted to leave the table, but she couldn’t bring herself to. 

“I understand Lilita isn’t trustworthy, but I’m sure her children don’t even care about the business world,” Laura argued. “Plus, how bad could they possibly be?” 

“Lilita may just be the very reason your mother is gone!” Sherman yelled. 

“Yeah. _Lilita Morgan_. Not Carmilla, or Will, or even Mattie!” Laura didn’t understand why she was defending the Karnsteins. She didn’t even know why she was angry to begin with. She’d only talked to Carmilla once, and already felt different about the whole situation.

“The kids could be in on it too. I don’t want you near them, okay?” Her dad stated. “Look I have to get to a few meetings. I’ll be back before dinner,” He turned to Kirsch, “Keep an eye on her okay?” Kirsch nodded, and Perry brought more food. Twenty minutes passed and Sherman was out the door. 

Laura spent the day doing her lessons, feeling like the princess she didn’t want to be. She felt exhausted, and curled up in her nook to read “Pride and Prejudice” again, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of what her dad said about the Karnsteins. Why would they cause a death? She knew that they were not to be trusted, but just how bad was it? 

“Hey Laura! I was wondering if you wanted to play Mario Kart?” Kirsch bursted in her room with his goofy grin. 

“Where’s Danny? Doesn’t she usually hang out with you?” Laura furrowed her brows in confusion. 

“Her mom dragged her to another dinner party tonight so I’m all alone,” Kirsch replied with a pout. He held up the controller, “please?” 

“Fine! But you owe me,” Laura hated Mario Kart. 

“Yes! You won’t regret it, I promise!”

But Laura did regret it. She was about to lose it, and throw the entire Wii out the window, but Kirsch managed to stop her from doing that. Laura was glad it took her mind off things, off Carmilla. That part of her mind wasn’t helping either, she couldn’t stop thinking about the party, and the dance. The way Carmilla looked at Laura, and touched her. She shoved her thoughts away for the 4th time that day, and continued playing all sorts of video games with Kirsch until she got frustrated. Later that night her dad returned to dinner with yet another big smile on his face. But, this one was completely different from the one this morning. This one meant that he was up to something. 

“I think I found someone to fix the motorcycle, among other things,” he said excitedly as he dug into his ham. Laura tried not to let out another groan, keyword: _tried_. “I have to set up an interview, and make sure she’s reliable.”

“Do we really need more people at the house so much? I think we have a enough to keep the house together,” Laura attempted to reason.

“I know but I’m a busy man, and I want to ride the motorcycle again.”

“Can’t Kirsch do it?” Laura asked, but instead of responding, Kirsch and Sherman both burst out laughing. 

“Honey, Kirsch doesn’t know how to fix anything. But he’s taking classes when summer ends. By the end of next year he should be an expert at fixing them!” He stated proudly. 

“Yeah, but until then we have someone else repairing around the house,” Kirsch said winking at Laura. She didn’t know what he meant by that, but ignored it since Kirsch was always like that. 

“I’m going to bed,” Laura responded after a minute. She finished her food, thanked the maids who prepared it, and was off to sleep in her bed that night. She really hated this place, even if her dad wasn’t terrible, the cabin fever was beginning to kick in. Laura needed to escape, and soon. 

****

Carmilla couldn’t stop fidgeting as she waited for this meeting with the man that may or may not want to hire her. She was nervous, and it was completely ridiculous that she insisted on having this meeting with him in the first place. He didn’t trust anyone, and there was no way in hell he would trust Carmilla. But Carmilla would do her best to convince him to hire her. 

“Ms. Karnstein?” Said a woman with a clipboard. Her brows furrowed in confusion. When she looked to Carmilla, her expression twisted into disgust. It didn’t surprise Carmilla, considering her name and where she was. She got up, and followed the woman all the way to one of the conference rooms. After another sigh of disappointment, she opened the door, and led Carmilla inside. 

“Good luck, you’re gonna need it,” and with that she was out the door leaving Carmilla alone once again. She began picking at her nails, and peeled off the already chipped nail polish on her fingers. The longer she waited, the more nervous she felt. 

A few minutes more and the door finally opened, to reveal a tall man with a bunch of folders in his hand. She knew who it was instantly, but pretended she didn’t only for the few minutes of comfort that never came. He turned around, and looked at Carmilla cautiously, as if she was about to do something dangerous, or do anything at all. Carmilla tried not to squirm under his gaze. 

“Carmilla, what an interesting situation to finally meet you in,” He said with a strained smile. He reached out his hand for Carmilla to shake. Carmilla almost almost didn’t take it, but she reminded herself who she was trying to impress. When she shook his hand, he his earlier smile turned into a smirk. 

“I’m Sherman Hollis, but I’m sure you know exactly who I am,” he gave her a pointed look. Carmilla just nodded not saying anything in fear of saying the wrong thing. “So, why should I give you this job?” 

“I have no interest in joining the family business,” _and I kind of sort of have a crush on your daughter_. Carmilla tried to hide the sudden blush on her face, and if he asked, it was hot in here. “I need to get a job that pays well, and helps get me an apartment by the time fall rolls around.” 

Sherman raised his eyebrows, and nodded. He seemed impressed by her response, and mildly surprised. He opened the folders that he had in his hand, and began sifting through them.

“Why should I consider you?”

“Because whatever beef you have with my mother doesn’t peek my attention. If anything, I could care less. I know you might think that me, Mattie, or Will have something to do with this, but my mother went through great lengths to keep me out of this rivalry.” Her mother had, even if all she did was talk badly about them. But none of those comments ever changed her curiosity. 

Sherman seemed to have regarded her for a moment, and began writing something down on the papers he had out in front of him. He then looked at Carmilla, waiting for her to crack under the expression, but she remained silent and continued to look him in the eyes. 

“Tell you what, I will give it to you. Only because you are the only person who’s actually applied.” Carmilla may or may not have had anything to with that. “But, I have conditions.”

“I’ll do anything.” 

“Ever killed a man?”

Carmilla’s eyes widened, and Sherman just let out a loud laugh. 

“I’m just kidding. Seriously, if you so much as go near my daughter I will make you regret it.” His tone went from lighthearted to scary in a matter of seconds. “I know the flyer said just my motorcycle, but I need you to be able to work on the rest of the house.” 

“I promise sir,” she replied. She knew it was a lie, but she had to be careful. Laura might not even be interested in her. It made sense, Laura knew nothing other than what her father had said about the raven haired girl. This is what made Carmilla nervous, and there was a big chance that she was wasting her time on the girl. Either way she needed the money, why not try and get the girl too? 

“Good, I’ll see you Monday morning bright and early!” He said with his signature smile. 

She mirrored his expression, and left the conference room. Once she left, she let out a huge breath she didn’t realize she was holding in. Carmilla was going to now have to figure out how to not get caught trying to talk to Laura. But she might put that off for a while until she gets a decent amount of money. 

Yep, Carmilla was royally screwed.


	2. Rule Breaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla gets hired, but can she resist staying away from the cupcake? Nope. She can't. Like at all. She's already whipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer, but mostly because I've been in such a good writing mind that it was a bit fun for me. This chapter has not been revised, because the person who revises it is going through some stuff so please don't get mad at any typos or grammar issues. I tried. Really. Also a sidenote, I always double enter between paragraphs but for whatever reason it's not working so I am super sorry if it bothers you. (It's bothering me at the moment but I dont know how to fix it. If you do please let me know.
> 
> Edit- 1/11/18. Hi! Nikki here, I had fun with this chapter. I hope Andy doesn't mind, I added one of my favorite quotes from the play so ya'll get a feel of the chapter and what's to come. We're already working on chapter three and we're excited to be writing this story for you! Glad so many of you are interested! Stay awesome possums, guys, gals, and non-binary pals.

**"But _soft, what light through yonder window breaks?_**  
**_It is the east, and Juliet is the sun._**  
**_Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,_**  
**_Who is already sick and pale with grief_**  
**_That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. . . ._**  
**_The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars_**  
**_As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven_**  
**_Would through the airy region stream so bright_**  
**_That birds would sing and think it were not night."_** -Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. Act 2, Scene 2

* * *

 

Carmilla nearly flew out of her bed to her alarm blaring in her ear. She quickly turned around to grab her phone, but instead it was swiped out of her hand. Carmilla looked up and saw a smirking Will holding the phone just out of reach, and she growled.

"Give me my phone William," Carmilla said getting up to grab her phone. She tried to scare her brother with her death glare but it only earned a laugh out of the younger sibling.

"Stop calling me that, and I might think about it," Will responded. Carmilla reached again for her phone, but Will moved it out of reach once again earning another glare, this time Will's face dropped, but only for a second. Before Carmilla could demand for a third time for her phone, Will had took off running down the hall. She went after him in a matter of seconds.

"Will! I said give me my phone!" Carmilla was running down the hall after him, but not without, shouting different insults at him. Carmilla tackled Will to the ground, and managed to grab her phone before he could defend himself.

"You two need to stop, it's annoying and it's far too early," said a voice from down the hall. " Kitty cat why are you even up?" Mattie looked to Carmilla. Then Will got a smirk on his face.

"That's because she got a job at the Hollis estate for the summer." If Carmilla could kill her younger brother she would've done a long time ago. Instead, she punched him in the arm, which resulted in a yelp.

"You weren't supposed to tell anyone you idiot!"

"Ow! Sorry," he said cradling his wounded arm. 

"I didn't hit you that hard, you big baby," Carmilla chastised.

"You know Maman is going to have a fit once she finds out you're working for _the Hollises_!" Mattie tone was harsher, but it made complete sense considering they were a rival. A rival that Mattie could care less about, but she had to keep up an act for their dear mother. 

"Well Maman isn't going to find out, if you keep your mouth shut," Carmilla responded.

"She wants to see the girl," Will said in a teasing tone, with a smug grin. That earned another punch in the arm. "Ow!"

"Not surprised to see you going after a princess," Mattie pointed out. "Darling this is going to end burning in flames. And when it does, don't come running to me." She looked to Carmilla with concern. Carmilla just shrugged, and started going back down the hall to her room. Carmilla appreciated the fact that Mattie worried about her, it made sense given her past, but she wasn't going to let this girl slip through her fingers. Even then, it'd be Carmilla dealing with the damage, and not Laura.

"I know Mattie, I could get hurt but I need this job regardless," Carmilla shouted once she got to her room. "I just want to be out of the family business."

"Good luck trying to get out of Mother's ties. You know she won't let you," Mattie responded. She turned around and started walking down the hall to the dining area where the maids were setting up breakfast.

"If I explain then maybe she'll let me." Mattie laughed at that. "She kept the business world separate from us growing up. Maybe she'll see that that's not what I wanted at all."

"It's endearing that you think she'll budge. She needs you to take over the company, and she won't change her mind." Mattie, Carmilla, and Will all sat down at the table, and began digging in after the maids brought their food.

"What about Will?" Carmilla asked. Will nearly choked on a mouthful of eggs, and started coughing violently while trying to hold in a laugh.

"Darling, we've been over this. Maman has it already set in stone." They have talked about, numerous times. If only Carmilla could get through to mother, it would make all the difference. This was not the life she had wanted. She'd rather live on her own, independently and not sucked into the world of business.

"There is no way in hell Mother is letting me anywhere near the company. Which is a good decision, I think." He had mostly recovered from his coughing bit and was sitting with his chest puffed out. Carmilla rolled her eyes, it was a good thing that Mother kept him away from it.

"All I'm saying, is trying to convince Mother to let you live on your own is useless. But going to work on the estate is pushing it too far," Mattie plead. "You're lucky she's on a business trip for the next couple of weeks. She's going to find out, and she'll be furious."

"Look, I'll steer clear of the girl for now," Carmilla reasoned. She groaned internally, knowing that's a promise she'll never be able to keep. "Maybe."

"And what are you going to do if she finds out?"

"I'll figure something out okay? You don't have to worry about me. This is my mess," Carmilla said.

"This is not going to end well," Mattie muttered to herself before walking back to her room. Carmilla sighed to herself, and turned towards her own room when she met Will's expression. He had the biggest smirk on his face. Annoyed by this, Carmilla punched him in the arm for a third time before walking away.

"Ow!" She heard him cry out. 

Carmilla returned to her room and decided to get ready and face the day. 

A few more punches to Will for his suggestive comments, and trying on three different outfits later, and she was standing on the front porch of the Hollis' manor. She was swallowing down her anxiety, but it wasn't going away. It was ridiculous and she wished she could just run away from all of this, and pretend nothing happened. Mattie had been right, this was risky, and Mother would surely disown her after finding out that she had been working for their supposed biggest enemy.

It was also completely ridiculous because she had only decided to apply when she saw the stupid flyer, and thought of Laura almost instantly. And even more so, that she was even going through with this to begin with. It was surely going to blow up in her face, and but it was already too late for her to turn back now. There was a lady who opened the door, and stared Carmilla up and down.

Carmilla began feeling annoyed at the oddly perky woman in front of her, so she decided to speak.

"Hi, I'm Carmilla. I'm the new gardener, or whatever," Carmilla said with a bored expression. If Carmilla was nervous, she was hiding it well. The lady scowled at Carmilla, which Carmilla wasn't expecting but it came as no surprise.

"I know who you are," the curly, red-haired woman spat. She continued to give Carmilla the death glare while she ushered her inside. "Quickly we don't want someone to see you and get the wrong idea." Carmilla's nervousness was completely replaced with pure irritation at that comment. 

"What? That we work together now? Don't want to hurt your reputation," Carmilla said with a mocked pout.

"We will never be friends!" Her expression was either a more intense glare or a confused look. Carmilla figured out which one it was supposed to be, but shrugged it off. 

"Lucky for you, I have no intentions of making friends while I'm here." Carmilla was starting to get impatient, and wanted to get this over with. She let out a frustrated sigh, but luckily the woman stopped talking to her.

Carmilla made the decision to look at every other place that wasn't the angry looking woman. When she did, she noticed how warm, and bright the house was. It was the complete opposite to what her Mother's house looked like, which was cold and grey, lacking the emotion this home had. The foyer was big, and the walls were white with marble floors. The stairs spiral upwards to the second floor with, with floral designs that lined the railing on the stairwell. There was a table that sat in the middle of the foyer with a different assortment of flowers in pots scattered among it. There was a giant window that sat on the opposite side of the room, and filled the entire space with light.

The place was breathtaking, and Carmilla was already enraptured in the design. A clear of a throat startled Carmilla out of her trance, and she turned to be greeted by Sherman Hollis himself.

"You made it!" He said eagerly, he ushered the maid out of the room, but she didn't leave without giving Carmilla one last glare.

"I certainly did," Carmilla smiled at the maid as she walked out.

"Come with me, and I'll show you where you'll be working for now," Sherman moved through the hallway and down towards the kitchen. Carmilla didn't have time to admire the decor in halls, and the kitchen as she had to run to catch up with this man. For someone who was known to be a terrifying man, he was like a little kid running downstairs on Christmas morning. It made Carmilla chuckle at the sight.

When they got to the garage, Sherman had pressed a series of buttons and suddenly the door whirred and began ascending. When the door was fully open, there was a singular black tarp over what Carmilla would assume to be Sherman's precious vehicle. He walked over to it, and pulled the tarp off to reveal a motorcycle that has definitely seen better days.

"Ta-da," said Sherman. It didn't look at all fixable, but she really needed this job. She internally rolled her eyes at how proud Sherman was of this piece of junk.

She walked over to it, and started looking at the damage. It was a Honda Rebel, popular in the 70's with 234cc four-stroke engine that didn't set any speed records, but it was mostly just for joy rides. It was a rare model, which Carmilla was impressed by. No wonder he was so insistent on fixing it.

"You really know your stuff huh," Sherman pointed out. Carmilla then realized had said _alI_ of that out loud.

"My father was obsessed, and since Will and Mattie were occupied with Mother he taught me everything he knew about motorcycles." Carmilla smiled sadly at the memories.

"Perfect! I have the parts over here, and you should have all the tools you need. Though if there is something missing I'll get it for you." Sherman showed the tools, and parts needed for the desperate repair. It was a long table that followed one side of the garage, and there were a _lot_ of parts.

"Thanks," Carmilla said finally. She walked over, and got started on the motorcycle.

"I have a meeting, so I'll leave you to it then. Remember what I said!" Sherman called to Carmilla as he walked back into the house.

Carmilla began working on the motorcycle, and hoped that it was fixable. It didn't appear to be, but she needed the money, and prove how serious she was about breaking away from the family business. After a few hours of working, and a few lines of curse words later, Carmilla looked at the somewhat decent vehicle. It was looking better, but Carmilla decided she needed a break. She walked out of the garage, and noticed that in the backyard, there was a huge garden, and above there was a treehouse that looked as if it was on it's last leg.

The roof was a faded pink color, and there was a balcony that stretched all the way around it. The railing was uneven, and some parts looked to be almost falling off. The steps to climb up where scarce and falling apart as well, but it looked as if it was being used until it could no longer stand. Carmilla wanted to fix it, maybe Sherman would let her.

* * *

 

It had been three weeks since Laura saw Carmilla at her party. She was becoming more and more stuck in her head as the days went by during the summer. It had also been three weeks since Laura's dad hired the person to fix his motorcycle, and she was itching to figure out who she was. Laura had heard talk about the person, but the talk was too vague to figure out. But the employee had only been working for her dad for about two weeks now. It didn't help settle her thoughts, Laura was determined to find out who this person was. 

She huffed in annoyance, and went to her room to find a book to read. When Laura got there, she had noticed that Perry was tidying up her room.

"Perry you don't have to clean my room all the time," Laura reassured.

"I have to keep an eye on you while your father is gone for the weekend." Perry resumed cleaning up Laura's already clean room, and Laura just sighed.

"You know I'm an adult that's capable of taking care of herself, right?" Laura pointed out.

"I know Laura, but please just cooperate for once? He doesn't want you out of my sight until he gets back."

"I understand Perry, but I can't stay holed up here forever. Besides, I am convinced he's hiding something from me," or _some one._  When Laura met Perry's gaze, her face was red, and she looked like she was about to combust. This was certainly unsettling, and Laura knew then that her dad was definitely hiding someone.

"Oh it's true!" Laura said. "He is! Oh, I knew it!" Perry's face looked like a ripe tomato when Laura looked at her again. "It must be someone pretty bad too!" Laura began making her way down the stairs, and outside to her treehouse. Perry could try and stop her, but no one was allowed in her treehouse. It felt absolutely childish but she needed to get away from Perry. She decided a stake out was necessary considering it was facing the garage. The exact place where the new employee would be. 

"Laura! You have to stay with me! He didn't want you to find out, so maybe it's better if you remain unaware," Perry called after her. She was trying to catch up, but Laura was too fast.

"Too late Perry!" Laura said, she was practically sprinting away, leaving Perry standing at the bottom of the treehouse with a sigh.

Laura got settled in her bundle of blankets and pillows that had piled up over the years, and picked up one of the books laying on the floor, and began reading. Or rather, trying to distract herself, but she was reading the same lines over and over. The thought of her dad hiding something like that from her wasn't surprising, but usually it wasn't something this big. It was still something that irked Laura since her dad had initially brought it up. Laura realized a half an hour later, Perry had left probably to clean and mumble angrily to herself. 

It was then that Laura heard what sounded like someone wielding in the garage. She tried to drown out the noise, but it never stopped. She closed the book, and the loud sounds ceased. She waited a few minutes before returning to her book, and as soon as she did, the noise started up again. When she stopped reading to wait for the noise to stop, she waited a minute longer after the noise ceased. It started as soon as she thought about reading the first word.

Laura slammed her book closed book as loudly as she could, and stood up.

"That's it," she mumbled along with a series of other curse words. She walked outside of the treehouse onto the balcony, and looked for the source of the loud noise. There was a figure that looked to be welding something to her dad's poor excuse for a vehicle in the garage.

It was a woman, Laura concluded. She had dark hair, and was wearing all black, _in the middle of summer?_ It's always either 80 degrees or higher in June! There was a welding mask that was covering her face, so Laura couldn't figure out who it was at first. She was about to yell at her to keep it down, when the woman took off the mask, and flipped her hair to the side. The wind was nearly knocked out of her. It felt as if everything was happening slow motion.

Laura hadn't realized she dropped her book on the floor of the balcony, until Carmilla had turned around, meeting Laura's eyes. The smirk that Laura loved and hated so much, made its way onto her face. Of course, it made sense that her father kept this from her. But keeping things from Laura made her even more curious than before.

"Carmilla Karnstein."

"Cupcake."

"How the hell did you convince my dad to hire you?" Laura asked in disbelief, she leaned forward on the railing with a smile.

"Well come down here and I'll tell you," Carmilla said with a sly grin on her face.

"What makes you think I want to do that?" Laura's tone was playful.

"You certainly didn't refuse me that night at the dance."

Laura laughed, "you have a point." She turned around and found the ladder. She tried to keep her excitement down, nothing was more exciting than an adventure. When she climbed down, Carmilla was already in her space. Laura looked up in surprise, but quickly schooled her expression, and narrowed her eyes at Carmilla. Carmilla didn't make Laura feel nervous, it was the feeling deep within the pit of her stomach that was making her uneasy. This had only been the second official interaction, and Laura was already in too deep. But she wouldn't let Carmilla see that. Not yet at least.

"Hey," Laura said finally. They were both smiling like two idiots.

"Hey."

"So, I guess you're the new employee my dad goes on and on about," Laura began. She began studying the other girl, and noticed the oil on her hands and the taut muscles on her arms. Laura dragged her eyes up Carmilla's body, and met her gaze. Laura noticed the blush forming on her face. She was slowly getting closer to Carmilla. "I mean it makes sense, considering my own brother wouldn't even tell me." Carmilla's expression dropped to show nervousness. For some reason it made Laura feel confident.

"Didn't know the frat boy was your brother," Carmilla responded.

"He's adopted," Laura reasoned.

At this point, Laura was a few inches from Carmilla, with a smirk still on her face. Carmilla was beginning to feel hot in places she hadn't felt for a long time. This girl was doing things to her, and Carmilla didn't know why. Then suddenly Carmilla was caught off guard when Laura spun them around, and started walking Carmilla backwards into the base of the tree.

"You know you aren't supposed to be talking to me," Carmilla tried to gain some of her composer back. It was difficult, because Laura was looking at her like she was about to _eat_ her. This interaction was dangerous, considering they were out in the open. Carmilla found it exhilarating.

"And you aren't supposed to be talking to me." Laura took another step forward, and Carmilla took a step backward. The confident smirk still planted on her face. She managed to gain her confidence back enough to respond.

"But here we are," Carmilla commented. She slid around Laura, and started walking towards the garage, and sat her welding mask, and gloves on the table next to her giant stereo.

"Carmilla Karnstein, do you have a death wish?" Laura said with a raised eyebrow.

Carmilla turned around, and shrugged. "I lived a good life."

Laura scoffed, "of course you're a thespian."

"What? I have a flair for the dramatic," Carmilla said with a grin. She walked over to Laura, now that she was able to properly speak. This was all happening like it was a dream, she didn't think she'd get to see Laura again so soon. Carmilla was definitely not complaining at all.

"Seems to be true," Laura paused and leaned on one of the counters in the garage." So," Laura started. "Why are you working for my father?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Carmilla answered with her signature smirk. She looked Laura up and down, and it was Laura's turn to blush. "There could be a number of reasons."

"Care to share?"

"Don't you have that maid stuck up your ass or something?" Carmilla's tone was playful, but Laura was curious. Why did Carmilla choose this job over countless other job opportunities out there? Was she trying to piss off her mother? Or worse, maybe she was planning something _with_ her mother. Laura immediately, shook that thought out of her head and focused on Carmilla.

"Are you free this weekend?" Laura asked with a suggestive smile.

"I am now."

"My dad is gone for the weekend so you won't have to worry about the rules."

"I don't follow rules darling." Carmilla was smirking, and Laura just smiled at her.

"Good. You can tell me how you convinced the most stubborn person in the world to hire you, Carmilla Karnstein, daughter of the CEO of Karnstein industries, aka his biggest rival, to work on his motorcycle." Laura managed to get all of that out in one try. Carmilla was making _her_ nervous, and she couldn't let her guard down, not yet. Carmilla knew that Laura wasn't going to stop asking, so she put on her best poker face. Carmilla walked around the motorcycle, and trapped Laura against the wooden table. This caused Laura's breath to hitch. 

"People can't resist the charm cutie," Carmilla replied. She had a soft smile, and it caused Laura to let out a small giggle. Carmilla then suddenly ducked her head down, suddenly finding her shoes very interesting. She seemed nervous, and it came as a surprise to Laura that she made Carmilla Karnstein nervous. "I uh, I know we-"

"Laura!" Perry yelled from the front porch, breaking the spell that Carmilla and Laura were both under. It was difficult to see into the garage from Perry's eyeview so they only had a matter of seconds before Perry spotted them. Carmilla tried her best not to groan out loud at the sudden interruption. She squeezed her fists and clenched her jaw tightly.

"Shit! I gotta go," Laura said anxiously.

"Will I see you again?" Carmilla asked hesitantly.

"We'll see about that," Laura winked and ran past Carmilla.

Carmilla watched Laura all the way until she was out of sight. She let out a breath she didn't realize was holding in, and ran a hand through her hair. She took a few more deep breaths, and made her way back to the garage. She began gathering her things, and putting away the tools she had been using as an attempt to distract herself from the plethora of thoughts swimming around in her head. All of them being of Laura, and what the hell just happened.

Laura was _not_ about to let Carmilla go that easily, so she had a plan. This plan was probably going to get her into a lot of trouble but she didn't care, the girl was right at her fingertips. She had a chance. At least she hopes does.

"I got it!" Laura blurted out. Perry nearly jumped six feet in the air, dropping some of the cookie dough on the floor. For the past two hours, Perry had been forcing Laura to bake cookies with her along with baking other delicious treats. It would've been more fun and exciting if Laura's thoughts weren't elsewhere. 

"Geez Laura, now we can't use that! It's contaminated!"

"I need you to do something for me," Laura said ignoring Perry's comment.

"No! You can't eat the dough, remember what happened last time?" Perry replied. Laura shuddered at the awful memory.

"No, it's something else." Laura sighed, and took a deep breathe. She knew this was going to either backfire, or by some miracle, work out on her end, so this was now or never. Damn, Laura _really_ hated this stupid rivalry thing.

"Sweetie, stop looking at the dough like you're going to murder it, and tell me what's wrong." Perry held a concerned expression as she regarded Laura.

"You're going to freak out," Laura started. And that's exactly what Perry did.

"Don't tell me you're-" Perry stopped and gestured towards Laura. More specifically her stomach, and Laura almost let out a hysterical laugh.

"Oh my god no! You know I'm gay! Plus, my dad hardly lets me leave the house!" Perry nodded in agreement at the realization. She calmed down, and her breathing was going back to normal.

"It has to do with Carmilla," Laura admitted. She braced herself in case Perry would scold her. When it didn't come, Laura opened her eyes to see Perry's face so red, Laura was sure she was seconds from combustion. But surprisingly, she didn't.

"Uh, Perry?" Laura said quietly. She suddenly let out a breath.

"W-w-what about her?" Perry laughed nervously. Laura took a deep breath, she knew using this against Perry would be a terrible thing to do but she had to.

"Look, I know about LaFontaine. I'm not going to tell my dad about them, but it's something you have to understand. Carmilla and I are in the same situation."

Instead of an expression of understanding, her face turned to pure anger.

"That is different, I've trusted and have known LaFontaine for years! You barely know this girl, and you're telling me to trust her? Laura what if she's here to get information on Mr. Hollis for her Mother. She's just using you and your dad to get information. I won't help you!" Perry finally took a breath after that.

"But in a way that you guys can't be seen together because of status. Carmilla and I can't be together because we're supposed have this ridiculous hatred for each other. You have to understand what that feels like. I just have a feeling like she doesn't care about our last names."

"How do you know?" Perry asked.

"I _don't_. And if you don't want to get involved fine, you'll be the first to say I told you so, if it blows up in my face. I just need you to keep this from my dad, and just help me out okay?" Laura begged, pleaded even.

"I can't lie to him Laura. We both know I'm terrible at lying!" Perry reasoned. Laura knew Perry was right, but she wanted to at least give it a chance. To give Carmilla a chance.

"Then just avoid him, or something. I'm going to talk to Kirsch, can you give this to Carmilla before she leaves?" Laura asked, handing Perry a folded piece of paper. "I promise I have a plan!"

"I still don't know about this," Perry muttered to herself. She sighed, and decided she better deliver this message for Laura. Technically she didn't know anything so there wasn't a possible way she could lie about anything.

Carmilla had finally finished up in the garage, and went to put on her jacket when she heard a door slam. She turned quickly to see who it was, and was surprised to find the curly-haired maid glaring at her. She had a piece of paper clutched in her hand.

"Perry."

"Carmilla."

Perry hesitated on approaching Carmilla, but when she did, she shoved the folded paper in Carmilla's hands. When Carmilla went to pull away, Perry tightened her grip on Carmilla's hands, and it was almost painful.

"Ms. Hollis wanted me to give this to you." Her expression turned harder than Carmilla would have thought possible. "If you hurt her, you will regret it."

"I'll be dead before that happens," Carmilla said snatching her hands away. She turned and walked away before she could see the expression on her face. She can't believe she had said that out loud.

When she was far enough down the street, she unfolded the piece of paper, and her knees nearly gave out under her.

 

_Come to the balcony in the back at midnight..._

_xoxo, Laura_

 

Her phone number was scribbled at the bottom messily. Carmilla's heart nearly skipped a beat, and she nearly tripped on a branch running home. She hooted and yowled, ignoring all the neighbors yelling at her to quiet down. She never felt so... _alive._  

* * *

 

Laura stormed into Kirsch's room, but he didn't hear her enter. Instead he was playing video games, shouting profanities into his headset all the while shoving junk food in his mouth. Somehow it pissed her off even more. He was completely startled when she took his controller out of his hands, and ripped his headset off him. She then grabbed his collar, and pulled him forward to where he was inches from Laura's face.

"Why didn't you tell me that Carmilla was the new employee?" Laura hissed.

"I-I... dad didn't want you to know, and he promised me money!" Kirsch stuttered.

"Likely story," Laura said. She shoved him back into his chair, she turned around and walked away from him.

"I'm being honest, dad practically begged me not to tell you!" The realization hit Kirsch a second later, "Hey! How did you find out?" He started smoothing out his wrinkled collar.

"I saw her myself, maybe you need better observation skills if you really didn't want me to find out."

"Are you going to kill me?" Kirsch asked with fear in his voice. Laura began laughing, really hard too at that fact.

"Oh god no. If anything, I need your help." Laura knew about Kirsch and Will, and wanted to know how the hell he managed to keep it from their dad. It was never really fair, Kirsch had so many romantic conquests, but Laura never got to experience the outside world. But then came Carmilla, and she wasn't going to pass up an experience like that.

"With what exactly," Kirsch said slowly.

"I'm hanging out with Carmilla later tonight, and I need you to make sure dad doesn't find out."

"What's in it for me?"

"I won't tell dad you've been seeing Will," Laura responded.

"Wait how did you-?"

"Doesn't matter, can you keep it a secret?"

He closed his mouth, and nodded quickly.

"One last question. How have you kept Will from dad?"

"It's pretty simple bro," Kirsch answered with a shrug. Laura was still confused as to what he meant, so he kept going. "Dad is always worried about you, and what's going with you, that I can literally have a party in the house and he wouldn't even notice." Kirsch didn't seem upset, he seemed content. It was that, or the fact that he had a really good poker face sometimes.

Neither of them blamed their father, ever since their mom passed away Laura had always been the center of attention. Kirsch never talked about it, and Laura never thought to ask.

"Kirsch-"

"Laur, I'm fine. I'll keep your secret don't worry," Kirsch had a goofy grin on his face. Laura still felt uneasy about this talk but she decided not to push it, and returned the smile.

"Thanks!" And Laura was out of the room. She was a bit surprised that everyone had been so willing to help her keep Carmilla a secret. Laura was not surprised about Kirsch, since technically he was seeing a Karnstein too, but something about this situation seemed a bit off. She started having doubts that Carmilla was actually interested in her. Maybe Carmilla _is_ only there just to get information.

"Perry is really rubbing off on me lately," Laura muttered to herself. She made her way outside to the balcony after wasting a few hours cleaning around and trying, but failing, to read. Laura looked at the stars. It was a clear night, and since she didn't live near the city, they were mostly visible. Earlier she had the staff turn off all the lights except the ones for her bedroom. Her mother had gotten her a telescope when she was young, and it sat untouched in the corner of the railing. Laura hadn't used it in years, it had caused too much pain.

She started thinking about her childhood, and how her mother used to read to her outside on the balcony, and then carry her inside when she fell asleep. It was also when her parents started telling Laura about the Karnsteins, and how they shouldn't be trusted. They had insisted that every family member was just as bad as the other, and that Laura should stay far away from them. Laura laughed at that.

"I'm pretty sure half the stuff said about Carmilla aren't even true at all. They probably only said those things to scare me. Look at me," Laura says to the sky. It was unexpected, and Laura still couldn't wrap her mind around it. Her mother must me scolding her from above right about now.

"Of course the first person that I find interesting, and I'm supposed to hate her. Go Laura, talented at falling for the only person my dad absolutely hates." Laura sighed, and leaned on the railing. "Did your last name have to be Karnstein? I think I'm screwed," Laura groaned into her hands. "What do I do now, mom?" she mumbled up to the heavens, hoping for an answer. 

"We got to stop meeting like this cupcake," said a voice from down below. Could it already be midnight? Last time Laura checked she still had half an hour left before Carmilla was supposed to show up. She looked out into the yard, and saw Carmilla leaning back against a tree with sunglasses covering her eyes.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses in the dark?" Laura asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well no one can recognize me. It's a disguise," Carmilla pushed off of the tree with her foot, and made her way closer to the balcony.

"I recognized you," Laura pointed out.

"That's because you were expecting me."

"Who are you again?"

"Funny," Carmilla said with a smirk. They both laughed. "I brought something for you. Didn't know if you already ate or not," Carmilla shyly held up a tupperware container full of cookies. A smile spread on Laura's face, and Carmilla swore she looked like the stars.

"Carmilla Karnstein you know me so well," Laura finally said. "Come up?" She gestured at the trellis that was conveniently placed next the balcony. Laura definitely didn't beg Kirsch to put it up a few days ago.

"How can I refuse the princess," She said with a grin, and then started making her way up the trellis. Laura began to panic, and didn't really know what to do with herself when Carmilla climbed over the railing. So, Laura did the first thing that came to her mind when Carmilla was looking at her like _that._

When Laura's lips connected with Carmilla's, it finally eased the craving that had been occupying her brain since the the party. But another fire had ignited itself inside her, and there was no way she was going to deny it. Especially, since Carmilla was kissing her back.

_Yeah, screw waiting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really REALLY hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wasn't anticipating them to kiss this early in the fic but I was feeling it, and its a Romeo and Juliet au so I feel like it makes sense. I guess I abandoned the slow burn, but don't worry I have a long way to go before I finish this fic. Also I will tell you this now, that updates will be slow but hopefully I can get them out at reasonable times. The new semester just started and I already know I'm not going to have a social life. Hopefully I'll be able to write when I can. Anyways, thanks for reading, leave a comment or kudos (or both) lemme know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. I want to become better, I won't get offended or upset if you guys have suggestions. Okay this is long enough. Have a good night! Again another shout out to Nikki, Morgen and Caragh for being super supportive, I love and appreciate you guys.


	3. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla and Laura go on a cute date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is here!!! Yes I know that I have been MIA for the past few months and I feel horribly about that considering that I have full plans to update regularly. I was still in school (still kind of am) but I have more freetime hopefully. BEFORE YOU READ ON: I would highly suggest you reread the last chapter as it will provide more context on what is happening. I also edited the hell out of the last chapter because even though I was gone, I was coming up with ideas for the official plot line, and so I had to change a few things from the previous chapter. Now that that is all said and done, please enjoy this chapter. I promise that I will finish this fic if it is the last thing I do.

Carmilla and Laura were walking down a path behind the large estate that Laura lived in. It was a warm, humid night. They were standing just under a tree, when Laura intertwined their fingers and turned Carmilla down a different path. She had no idea where they were at night, but her hand was in Laura’s and that’s all she cared for. 

They had abandoned their wine and cookies on the balcony, after Laura decided to give Carmilla a grand tour of the estate. It was bigger than Carmilla had initially thought. She knew it was huge, but with the amount of hidden passages and rooms, it reminded her of the tents from Harry Potter. 

Carmilla thought about the abrupt kiss that was shared earlier, and how as soon as the tiny cupcake realized what she had done, she squeaked. It was a strange noise, but it didn’t surprise Carmilla in the slightest. The woman may seem confident most of the time, but Carmilla was able to change the game once in while. Carmilla had found it amusing when Laura started rambling about how she panicked and apologized profusely for not asking permission. When Carmilla reassured her that no harm was done, Laura wanted to take things slow. It was a statement that Carmilla had not expected, but she promised Laura that she would at her pace, get to know her and what not. 

Carmilla noticed that this particular path was lit up from above the two by white lights that were carefully placed above them. It was something that definitely enthralled Carmilla. She had been listening to a story about how Laura got caught smoking in her bedroom one time. But all Carmilla could see was Laura moving her lips and the sudden need to kiss them. She shook the thought out of her mind, and chuckled when Laura had given her details of how she wasn’t allowed to leave the house for a month after that. 

“You’re more of a troublemaker than I originally thought,” Carmilla said with a soft smile. 

“Hey!” Laura said lightly punching Carmilla’s shoulder with her free hand, and Carmilla underestimated Laura’s strength because Carmilla took a step back to keep from falling. Carmilla’s hand began to loosen in Laura’s, but instead of letting go, Laura found her grip tightening. She was afraid of letting go which caught them both by surprise. Carmilla tugged on her hand, and Laura stumbled into her. 

“Sorry,” Laura felt the words tumble out of her mouth. She looked at Carmilla and her brows crinkled, Carmilla was studying her with an intensity that Laura saw when they danced together and then again in the garage. It always made Laura ponder what was going through her head. 

Every single time Carmilla looked at Laura, there was always something new, and this specific lighting caused Carmilla to notice more details. Her eyes shined in the lights above, and her face was pink from making her blush so much throughout the night. Laura’s expression suddenly went from a soft smile to an intense gaze. It took everything in Carmilla not to just take her back to her room then and there. But earlier that night after Laura’s panicked response from kissing Carmilla, they decided to take things slower. Carmilla just smirked, and looked above them and smiled. 

“So, what’s the story about the christmas lights?” Carmilla asked. 

“How do you know there’s a story behind it?” 

“From the way you look at them, I figure there’s something there.” Carmilla eyed her curiously, and suddenly Laura hid her face in Carmilla’s shoulder. An action that did not cause Carmilla’s heart rate to pick up. Not. At. All. Nope. 

“What’s the matter cupcake?” Carmilla asked. Laura pulled herself back to look at Carmilla, Carmilla had an eyebrow raised. 

“Promise you won’t laugh?” 

“You have my word,” Carmilla crossed her heart. 

“Okay, so like when I was about 16 years old, I had this phase where I was obsessed with conspiracy theories.” Carmilla raised her eyebrows, “It was weird I know, but they’re so cool! Anyways, so I had read this theory that there these nightcrawlers that lived in the woods in this town. Of course I got freaked out, and made my mom help me put the lights up.” Laura’s smile got sad as she looked up towards the lights. It was a silly fear that she developed but the memory made her smile. But Carmilla didn’t respond, only looking at Laura. 

“It's so beautiful,” Laura said mesmerized. 

“It is,” Carmilla replied eyes still on Laura. You are, She thought. 

When Laura went to meet Carmilla’s gaze again, she looked as if she was trying her hardest to keep from laughing. Laura schooled her hurt expression, and smacked Carmilla on the arm. 

“I told you not to laugh!” 

“No, I’m not laughing at _that_ ,” Carmilla said. There were tears forming in her eyes from laughing so hard. “Will was the one who wrote that article.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I dared Will to write it, and see if it would scare you. Clearly it worked.” 

“I can’t believe you!” Laura chastised. “You’re the worst!” Laura smacked her on the arm again, as Carmilla doubled over in a fit of laughter. Laura tried not to notice when Carmilla gripped her hand even harder. 

“As most people would think when they look at me.” Carmilla meant it as a joke, but Laura’s face fell. 

“That’s not true, I bet you’re quite the charmer,” Laura pointed out. Carmilla just turned to look at her with a side smile, and rolled her eyes. They started walking down the path again in sync together. _Still holding hands_. But Laura was not focusing on the way it made her feel. 

“That’s not what the tabloids say,” Carmilla said matter-of-factly. She wasn’t least bit upset about, if she’s going to be seen as the most reckless daughter of a high functioning corporation, she might as well be. Laura’s eyebrows crinkled in such a way that amused Carmilla. She also noticed that Laura’s nose was scrunched up. Carmilla noticed that the other girl did that when she was mad. “That face you make when you’re angry is hilarious buttercup.” 

Laura threw Carmilla a wicked smile before pulling Carmilla in one direction. Carmilla struggled to keep up as she had not been this active since a very young age, and heard a small giggle coming from the girl in front of her. Laura looked back with the biggest smile on her face, it was even brighter from the lights above. Carmilla wanted to pause this moment and live in it for the rest of her life. 

She was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts when laura suddenly let go of her hand, and stopped running. Carmilla managed to stop herself before colliding into Laura, and took a second to catch her breath. 

Before she could even fully recover she heard a voice from above. Carmilla looked up and met Laura’s eyes. 

“You coming?” Laura asked with a smirk on her face. She was on the balcony, and leaning on the railing trying to act nonchalant. It was doing some weird things to Carmilla. And by weird she meant normal because she’s had these feelings since the first time she saw Laura. 

“You’re killin’ me Hollis,” Carmilla said in between breaths. She heard Laura giggling again, and she decided to finally climb the treehouse. 

When she got up to the top, she was completely taken aback by the inside of the structure. It was a sight to behold. There were different drawings made by an eight year old Laura Hollis who only seemed to use to the colors yellow, and pink. There was a bookshelf on the right full of books from over the years when Laura would hide out just to read in peace. On the opposite side where Carmilla stood, there was a bean bag and a few blankets that were snug in the corner along with some pillows. 

“My mom built this for me when I was five,” Laura said breaking the silence. 

“Your mom has built a lot of things,” Carmilla observed. She met Laura’s eyes and they seemed far away. 

“Before she died, my dad spent most of his time at work with the company. Most of the time it was just us and the giant house.” Laura smiled as she looked around the treehouse. It was her favorite place to be, it was somewhere she could feel closer to her mom. No one but her mom was allowed up here, and now she was bringing her ‘supposed’ sworn enemy. Carmilla didn’t respond, only giving her that soft smile that Laura hardly ever sees on the other girl. Carmilla wasn’t asking questions, because she didn’t want to pressure Laura, instead she took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t know why she felt the need to show Carmilla this soon into whatever this relationship was. But Carmilla was being so nice, and nothing like the tabloids said. It made her wonder what happened to the poor girl. 

Instead of letting go of Carmilla’s hand, Laura pulled her out onto the balcony to see the incredible view that only Laura has ever seen. The advantage to having treehouse that had a balcony, was that the treehouse itself was up higher than the balcony in Laura’s bedroom. Carmilla’s breath hitched at the ability to be able to see the entirety of the land that Laura’s father had owned. The view was mostly a wooded area, that was far enough above the trees to see the stars perfectly. Carmilla let out an excited laugh as she began looking for her favorite constellations. 

It was Laura’s turn to watch the other girl as she light up from being able to see the entire milky way. Laura started to notice the intricate details that made Carmilla so unique. The way her lips twitched when she seemed to find a constellation she loved, and how she was practically on her tiptoes trying to reach outer space. The way her eyes shined, when she was looking at Laura. Yep, Carmilla caught Laura staring. She would have blushed but then she realized how nonchalant Laura had been acting most of the night. It was her turn. Instead of saying anything, she just raised an eyebrow. 

Laura just ducked her head down, to try and hide her now completely red face. She was so not smooth, or good at this. Instead of berating herself for the embarrassment, she quickly found a way to change the subject. 

“You like the stars don’t you?” Laura suddenly asked. 

“It’s comforting, to think about how small we are in comparison.” Carmilla took a deep breath, “nothing to that light.” Laura just giggled, and god what Carmilla would give hear that for the rest of her life too. 

“My mom also had a thing for stars, thats why she picked this spot.” Laura looked out to the world below, and marveled at the view for another moment before continuing. “After she passed I wasn’t allowed to come up here. I am now, just not at night anymore.” 

“How come?” 

“Well after the funeral, he kept going on these spiels about about it’s not safe. He even went into detail about how needs me at the office, so that I can learn how to take over the company when I’m old enough.” 

“But that’s not what you want.” It wasn’t a question. Carmilla said it as if it was something she heard before. 

“I want to go into investigative journalism,” Laura said proudly. “But my dad won’t let me go to college for it, unless its for business.”

“I know exactly how you feel,” Carmilla reassured. 

“Do go on Ms. Karnstein,” Laura teased. She had the goofiest smile that Carmilla had ever seen on her face. 

“Oh I didn’t know we were being formal Ms. Hollis. You’ll have to excuse my rudeness,” Carmilla smirked while Laura let out a laugh, and then Carmilla’s face became serious again. “My mom has big plans for me to take over the company when I come of age, but I could care less about that huge mess after my father died.” 

“Well what do you care about?”

“I want to be a detective,” Carmilla stayed proudly. When didn’t hear Laura respond, she looked over at the girl raising her eyebrow in question. Carmilla just laughed.

“Carmilla Karnstein working on the right side of the law for once. All this time I thought you were against the judicial system.” 

“I am, but the only way to make it better is to do it yourself I guess,” Carmilla pointed out. “Plus, it’ll impress girls so it's a win-win.”

“Well detective Karnstein, I happen to be a girl,” Laura added.

“Are you impressed?” Carmilla was slowly inching towards Laura. 

Laura hummed, “I don’t know, why don’t you find out.” Laura’s eyes darted down to Carmilla’s lips, and saw her breath hitch when Carmilla licked her own. 

“I thought we were taking things slow,” Carmilla commented. 

“I officially retract that statement.” 

“Fine by me.”

As they closed the distance between them, Carmilla’s heartbeat started pick up and she noticed her hands and body feeling hot and constricted. It was a new feeling, one that scared her but, she was Carmilla Karnstein, and Carmilla Karnstein never got scared. Well, that’s what she told herself. But she was feeling particularly terrified right now, it was strange feeling in contrast to Carmilla’s usual over confident self. Carmilla noticed that she could feel Laura’s breath on her lips, and made the move to meet their lips. 

Suddenly, a loud ringtone played, causing them both jumped back in surprise. Carmilla’s phone was going off, and a part of her wished she left the damned thing at home. But alas, she decided to bring it with her and ruin the intense moment that was just shared. 

When she took her phone out, she realized who it was. _Shit_. 

“What’s wrong?” Laura asked. Her voice was filled with concern. 

“My mother,” Carmilla said. She walked away as she answered the phone, and Laura could hear part of the conversation. 

“No mother, I was going for a walk…...Yes, I sometimes like to be out at two in the morning….I’ll be home soon. Bye.” 

Carmilla came back into view, and gave Laura an apologetic look. 

“Sorry cutie, but it looks like our evening is being cut short.”

Laura visibly deflates, and all Carmilla wanted to do was _stay_ , but not tonight unfortunately. It seemed that her mother had flown back early. 

“I’ll walk you to the entrance?” 

“I would love that,” Carmilla replied with a smile. 

They both climbed down the latter, and began walking towards the house. But not without Carmilla grabbing Laura’s hand to hold it. Laura’s stomach fluttered and she tried not to let her smile go on her face. It was a nearly impossible task as Carmilla was smiling too, and it made Laura smile even more. It ha been a picturesque night for Laura, as she had been so awkward in the beginning, but after a few minutes she became comfortable enough to strike a meaningful conversation with Carmilla. Compared to Laura, Carmilla was way more reserved, and it’d take a lot more time to get to know her. 

As they reached the threshold of Laura’s huge estate, Laura began feeling a pit in her stomach. The night would officially be over as soon as they reached the front door and Laura was not ready to say goodbye. Neither was Carmilla, in fact. She would rather stay with Laura than go home to her stone cold mother. But all good things must come to an end right? 

“So, this is me,” Carmilla said. 

They both looked at each other in an awkward silence, not knowing how to properly part ways. Carmilla and Laura knew what they wanted, neither of them could find the words to express it without making the other uncomfortable. 

Suddenly, Laura was leaning and closed her eyes. She had no idea what to expect from this kiss, and based on Carmilla’s expression before she closed her eyes, it would be different. But before Laura could prepare anymore, Carmilla’s soft lips were pressed against Laura’s. It was different from Laura’s “accidental” kiss from before. This time, it was a full on makeout, that was filled with passion. More passion than Laura had ever felt when kissing someone she really liked. There was the passion sure, but this passion that was running through Laura was fiery burning flames of want. The feeling engulfed her, and she felt it grow strong as Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura’s waist, pulling her closer. Laura tangled her hands in Carmilla’s curly locks. Both of them breathing in each other but not seeming to be close enough. And then Carmilla was biting her bottom lip, and Laura let out a whine.

Laura decided to take control, and started kissing her way down her jawline, and down the side of her neck. She had no idea what she was doing, but the way Carmilla was with her guttural moans and small whines, she was doing something right. She kept going, and kissed her way back up to Carmilla’s mouth where they kissed for a bit longer. 

Then they broke apart to catch their breaths. Laura didn’t want Carmilla to go, so she leaned in for round two. But instead of Carmilla’s lips, she was met with her finger on her lips. 

“As much as I would like to continue this spectacular night, my mother will have my head if I don’t go.” 

Laura nodded, and Carmilla dropped her finger. She leaned forwards and left a kiss on Laura’s cheek. Then Laura pulled her into a tight hug, and it was definitely a new feeling. Laura couldn’t think of the word quite yet, as they were only at the beginning of whatever this was. 

“Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow,” Carmilla ghosted across her lips. 

“Was that-did you just quote Shakespeare?” But Carmilla was already halfway out the door when Laura opened her eyes. “Carm, you just quoted Romeo and Juliet!” Laura called after the other woman. 

“Goodnight Laura,” She turned around and blew her kiss which followed with a wink. She turned back around, and continued walking, but not before she heard her yell.

“Text me when you get home?” Laura asked hesitantly. 

“Promise,” Carmilla yelled back. She would’ve turned around but she didn’t want Laura to see the big smile on her face. 

 

****

 

It had been three weeks since Carmilla had gone on that date with Laura, and things had been amazing. They hadn’t gotten to see each other that much after the date, mostly just quick visits and then having to leave. Apparently Laura’s dad had her shadowing at the office, and so did Carmilla’s mother. It sucked, she could care less about the company, all she wanted to do was spend time with Laura for more than a few hours. But on the bright side they had been texting non-stop for the past week. 

Mattie was in the middle of explaining something to Carmilla on the computer screen, when her phone went off for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. 

“If you don’t silence that phone in the next five seconds, it will cease to exist.” Mattie’s tone was annoyed to say the least, but Carmilla quickly did as she was told, and then looked at her phone. She let out a laugh at Laura’s response, Laura had been telling her a ridiculous story of the time her dad tried to set her up with a guy, and how she came out to him. It was a lighthearted story, one that Carmilla wished she could relate to. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same for her. She typed out a response and press send. 

“Will you focus? We have to get this done or else mother will have both our heads,” Matties chastised after seeing Carmilla smiling down at her phone.

“Do you have to show me how to do this? It’s so boring,” Carmilla whined. 

“Kitty cat I have no choice in the matter, only a little bit longer and then you can go canoodle with your little pet.” 

Carmilla nearly choked on her own laughter. 

“What did you just say?” 

“You heard me now pay attention.” 

But before Carmilla could respond, her phone went off and she looked at the text. Mattie could tell who it was from by the stupid smile on Carmilla’s phone. Fed up with Carmilla not paying attention, she snatched the phone right out of her hands, and held it out of arm's reach. 

“Mattie, give me my phone back,” Carmilla sneered. 

“No, not until we finish this nonsense.” 

Carmilla just grumbled in response, and sat there with the most ridiculous looking face Mattie had ever seen. She just scoffed, and continued showing Carmilla what was on the screen before finally letting her have her phone back. 

Immediately, Carmilla took it out of her hand and began texting Laura. 

“God, you and that holly girl are truly nauseating,” Mattie concluded. “Be careful, mother is back in town. If she finds out it’s over.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Carmilla waved off as she continued to look at her phone. She walked out of the office, and made her way towards her bedroom. 

“Mircalla dear,” Carmilla’s mother called from a different room in the giant mansion. Carmilla internally groaned in annoyance before answering. 

“Yes, mother?” 

“Can you give me that flashdrive?” She asked. Lilita walked out of her office, and looked at Carmilla expectantly. If Carmilla didn’t know any better, she’d have missed the mischievous look on her mother’s face. It was a subtle expression, her lips slightly curved up into a smile. She was up to something, or something happened that was causing this strange behavior. Carmilla had yet to figure it out ever since she got home. 

“Well?” Lilita asked again, startling Carmilla out of her thoughts. 

“Right yes, sorry mother,” Carmilla said going towards the entrance and reaching into one of the pockets of her leather jacket. She pulled out a small black flashdrive, and handed it over to her mother. It was a weird request from her mother, she almost never asked Carmilla to hold onto things. Not even small things such as flash drives. But all of a sudden she was asked to hold onto it. Carmilla thought maybe it had to do with her taking over the company within the next three years, Carmilla was not sure. 

“It’s fine darling, thank you for holding onto it for me.” 

“What’s on it?” Carmilla eyed the object curiously. She had been asked to hold onto it, wouldn’t hurt to ask what she was holding for. 

“You’ll find out all in due time. Just know that it could change the direction for the company.” Lilita had a cold smile on her face, as if she did something completely cold-hearted. It didn’t surprise Carmilla at this point, she had gathered that her mother was a force to be reckoned with. She was also a very dangerous woman, which was why Carmilla was afraid of her finding about Laura. 

“Okay well, there you go.” 

“I’ll have to give it back to you, I just have to make sure everything is still on it. The company that manufactures these always manage to bug it. It’s a wonder they’re still even standing,” Lilita said. She started walking towards her office motioning for Carmilla to follow. Carmilla really wanted to look at her phone and text Laura, but her mother knew she never used her phone. It would make things suspicious, but they were in the midst of making plans when Carmilla got busy. 

When they got to her office, Carmlla hesitated.

“You’re allowed to come in Mircalla,” She motioned again for Carmilla to enter the office, and she did. Carmilla had never been inside her mother’s office before, and it was strange to Carmilla as to why. She had tried to break into it one time, and quickly realized there were cameras all over the place. It was a realization that unsettled Carmilla and she never dared to enter ever again. This time, Carmilla noticed that the office never changed, and the cameras were still scattered around the room, watching Carmilla. The office was mostly grey, with a bookshelf on one side, it had an assortment of books about business and a few family photos from when Carmilla was younger. In the middle of the room, there were two leather seats that sat facing Lilita’s desk. Lilita’s desk was black and was mostly cleared. Her computer, and a phone were the only things on the desk. 

The room was still unsettling, and she really didn’t want to be there, but Carmilla stayed put. Lilita walked around her desk and sat in her chair. She put the flashdrive in her computer, and started typing away. She began smiling, and started laughing while looking at Carmilla, which earned Carmilla’s confused expression in response. 

“We just had a breakthrough!” Lilita cheered. “Will you ask Matska to send an email to the Baron Vordenburg for me please?” 

“Yes mother,” Carmilla responded. 

“And Mircalla? Can you get the statistics for this months sales? Shouldn’t be too hard, it tends to be a little difficult at times.” Lilita was being nice, and it was absolutely out of character, but Carmilla chose not to comment on it. 

“Mattie showed me just now, I can do it myself,” Carmilla said. Lilita smiled and shooed her out of the room. Carmilla quickly walked out of the room and to Mattie’s office with a panicked face. When she arrived at her destination, Mattie instantly picked up on the distress. 

“Mother is smiling, _mother is smiling_ ,” Carmilla repeated over and over. She quickly sat down on one of the sofas in Matties office. 

“I’ll look into it,” Mattie reassure. “She’s up to something, and it can’t be good.” 

Carmilla nodded and began walking out of the room when she remembered why she was there in the first place. “Oh yes, mother wants you to email Vordenburg about something. I guess you know what she’s talking about.” 

“Sounds like it’ll be a blast,” Mattie said dryly. She waved off Carmilla, and Carmilla set out to do whatever it is her mother had asked her to do. It was simple, go on the website and print out the past months statistics. 

Carmilla went to her room, and opened her laptop to get started on what she needed. It took about an hour, two, tops to figure out how to get it printed out. The printer was jammed, but Carmilla managed to fix it after hitting it a few times. Once she got everything she needed, she went to her mother’s office to give her the information. When she arrived, her mother was still in a chipper mood. She even smiled when taking the statistics of the company. 

“Thank you, and here is the flash drive. I’ll need to you to hold onto it.” Lilita slid the small object across the desk, and Carmilla took it. 

“Why do you need me to hold it?” She suddenly asked. 

“Well, I guess should tell you since you’re doing this for me. I’m trying to seal a deal with Vordenburg, and he’s proving to be quite difficult.” 

“Didn’t he already agree to give one of his shares to Hollis Corporation?”

“Yes, but we’ll see how long the agreement lasts after I speak with him.,” Lilita pointed out. “That man doesn’t know how to make a good decision for his company. I might as well show him how it's done.” Lilita had a proud smirk on her face from saying that statement. Carmilla knew there had to be something bad on the flash drive. Instead of asking further and making herself look suspicious, Carmilla just walked out of the room. 

There was definitely something going on, and Carmilla needed to get to the bottom of it. Especially if it involves the one girl that Carmilla has ever cared about. 

She made her way back to her room, and immediately pulled out her phone to see over 20 text messages from Laura. Carmilla’s heart skipped a beat when all of them were Laura trying to ask her out on another date. It was even cuter when Laura had a word vomit for most of the texts. Carmilla decided to call her instead of texting her back. 

“ _Hello?_ ” A soft voice said on the other line. Carmilla’s lips immediately curved up, and she tried to fight the smile but couldn’t.

“Hey.” 

“ _Hey_.” 

“I got your texts,” Carmilla started. 

“ _I would hope so, but you don’t have to go on the date, I understand. I-I don’t want to like pressure you into anything because sometimes people like to take it slow, and sometimes I tend to rush things because I get excited you know, and if you don’t want to go on that date we don’t have to, we can be like friends or I don’t know_.” She continued to have her word vomit, and in all honesty, Carmilla found it endearing to say the least. 

“Cupcake, breathe.” 

“ _Fuck! I’m so sorry_.” 

“I think your rambling is cute.” Carmilla suddenly realized that she call her cute. God she was in deep. 

Laura was giggling on the other end, the butterflies returned. 

“But to answer your previous question, I’d love to go on that date with you.” 

She heard Laura quietly chanting in victory to herself, and it made Carmilla smile even more than before. If anything, she was happy herself. 

“So, um. Meet me at my house later?” 

“I think I would like that very much.” Carmilla drawled. 

“Great. Cool. Cool, cool, cool, _cool_.” 

There was a tentative, awkward silence between them. 

Then, an anxious, “Okaynicechattingtalklaterbye.” And the line went dead. 

Carmilla chuckled softly to herself, letting her phone fall from her hand and flopped onto her bed. Oh, yeah. She was definitely falling for this Hollis girl. Mother will be pissed. A thought came into her mind and challenged her: Who cares about mother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for being so patient, I promise I will do my best to write as much as I can and update as much as possible. I appreciate all of you for reading this. Within the next chapter or so the official plot line will start to come into play (even though I've sort of started it there.) I hope you guys stick around for more. Thanks again!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay okay okay, I know I have updated my crossover fic, but it is such a mess and I honestly don't know what to do with it. I may do a few more updates or just trash it, frankly I have no idea. I am SO sorry for not updating that fic, I just had an idea and didn't plan. So really it's my fault. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter, I really enjoyed writing this. The updates will be slow for right now, but hopefully I will establish a schedule once I finish it. Before I go though, I want to give a huge shoutout to mynameisnikki (I think thats her ao3) and to my lovely friend Morgen for helping me brainstorm, and get this fic going. I appreciate both of you, and to Caragh for suggesting every kind of vegetable.


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